wedding photographer
wedding photographer
As time goes by, your wedding photographs become more and more precious. For many families, a wedding is a time when all your loved ones are together at the same time. These photos become not just a priceless part of your history, but your family’s history. For the role of a wedding photographer, you want only the best.

Mimi Doke of The Wedding Specialist has been a wedding photographer for nearly 30 years. At every wedding, she utilizes only the highest quality film in conjunction with a medium format camera. Through her photography and decorating services, Mimi is able to add a dimension of fantasy and romance to any wedding. In cooperation with the wishes of the bride and groom, she creates the photographic magic that preserves the romance of a moment for a lifetime.

Photography   Wedding Coordinating   Engagement Portraits   Family Portraits

Traditional/Contemporary   Formats/Candid's   Special Effects
25 S. Acoma Blvd. Lake Havasu City, Arizona  86403
(928) 453-6000      fax (928) 453-3001
E-mail:wedd@citlink.net

wedding photographer
wedding photographer
wedding photographer
Pop quiz: Whos the most important member of the wedding party after the bride, the groom, and the officiant? The best man? The brides father? The maid of honor? The caterer? Nope, its the photographer, the person responsible for preserving for posterity all of your cherished wedding memories. Without photographs, the colors, excitement, beauty, emotions, and pageantry of your biggest day will fade like a painting in the sunlight.

Since the photographer has such lofty status, you dont want to entrust the job to anyone but a professional. He or she has the expertise to produce an exquisite record of your wedding, plus the experience to know what photos to include--ceremony shots, formal portraits, reception candids--and what style is best for capturing your wedding look, plus he knows the process to follow to ensure everything is covered in a timely manner.

Planning Your Wedding Photography
Once youve signed a contract with a wedding photographer, youll be partners in planning the structure and timeline of the recording of your big day. Here are the main planning points to cover:
When to take the formal portraits. Do you want your portraits to reflect the calm before the festivities or the glow after the I dos? Theres no rule about when to take the portraits. Beforehand, everyones at their best--no wind-mussed hair, no red eyes from tears of happiness. Afterward, smiles are a little more genuine with relief and joy. Its your choice. Dont forget to take into consideration the quaint tradition of not seeing your intended until the ceremony, if thats a part of the plan.

How to shoot the ceremony. Indoor photography requires lights, but you dont want huge fill lamps cluttering up your little chapel or the distraction of someone snapping away behind the altar. Its essential you and your photographer are clear on how to achieve his needs while respecting your wishes (and, for that matter, the wishes of the church or synagogue).

The shot list. A pro experienced in wedding photography will know the traditional shot list, but youll have ideas of your own and special people to include. Collaborate on the list of shots so that the wedding photographer can capture your requests within the amount of time for which hes hired.

How much of the wedding day to cover. This generally boils down to budget--the more hours your photographer spends shooting your wedding, the more its going to cost. If funds are limited, contract for the ceremony only, or for the ceremony plus one hour of the reception.

Plans and backup plans. Go over every aspect of the wedding program, from getting ready to your surprise of releasing butterflies to the special rituals of an ethnic wedding. Whatever you have planned, you want your photographer to be ready. You should also develop contingency plans in case of things going awry, such as the cake arriving late or the sky raining on your outdoor parade.

Your best wedding photos will come from your hired photographer. But to see pictures right away, get a digital camera for a friend or family member to use at the wedding.
Instant Gratification
Disposable Cameras
Newsflash: Here's the hottest thing in reception table décor: the disposable camera. Besides providing an entertaining diversion for your guests, the throwaway camera is a great way to get extra candid photos of your wedding at minimal cost.
Mind you, the quality will be less than stellar, but that can be part of the charm: crooked framing, unintentional close-ups, and pillars coming out of the tops of people's heads. You may also find the products of tipsy composition mixed in toward the ends of the rolls--and perhaps some questionable subject matter--but that's part of the throwaway package.
Since the tabletop camera is a fun, optional feature, you can approach your "found art" in several ways. Along with your other wedding stationery, have a small note printed up with instructions on how to use the camera and the sorts of things you'd like photographed. You could ask for shots of everyone at the table, the dinner and/or desserts, and guests caught off-guard in comical or touching moments. Or you could simply place a camera at each table and let the more creative guests come up with their own game plan.

If yours is a small wedding, give cameras to each guest as wedding favors, with the request that they give you copies of the best shots once developed. You can now find disposable cameras designed specifically for weddings in the accessory marketplace. Ideal for favors, these décor-friendly cameras come in wedding-white, gold, silver, and floral designs. There are even vendors out there who offer design-your-own table cameras. Nearly all wedding cameras include a table card with instructions--plus admonitions to leave the camera at the table when finished with it.

For a large reception, you can opt for the decorative cameras, or pick up the garden-variety single-use camera in bulk--just be sure they come with auto flash. Have an attendant in charge of collecting the cameras at reception's end, or simply place a basket near the exit with a sign that reads "place used cameras here." Easy, fun, inexpensive--it's nice to have one element of your wedding guaranteed not to break the budget!